Back in 1996, Tiger Woods entered the Greater Milwaukee Open, to a large cheer from the golf world. The US golf legend ended tied for 60th, shooting 67-69-63-68. Notably, Woods also clinched a hole-in-one. Soon after, his one-liner at the press conference became history. Notably, it had quite a hectic backstory to it.  

“Yeah, that week was a blur because I just came off winning the amateur. And so got to Milwaukee, try on some clothes and next thing you know I’ve got all these swooshes on and do a press conference which I can barely remember. It was just a whirlwind,” said Woods speaking on ‘The Tiger Effect’ podcast. 

The golf world will always remember the line, “I guess hello world.”

Going down memory lane, Woods told Jordan Spieth that in his debut PGA Tour event, all he wanted was to hit the golf ball. He pointed out how he could not wait to step foot on the greens and take his first swing at the fairway. Additionally, Woods also narrated how he still remembered his first tee shot at the age of 16 years. Thus, coming into the PGA Tour, he anticipated that things would turn out pretty similar in his pro journey. 

Reminiscing about the very first shot of his professional career, Woods said, “And when I took it back, I got to the top of the swing too fast. And so I just jumped out of the way as hard as I possibly could, cleared my hips as fast as I could. I ripped it right down the middle. I’m like, oh my God. Okay, we’re good.”

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Notably, Woods did not take long to turn pro. Playing in the Amateur realm, the US golfing legend made history. Winning almost everything coming his way, Woods clinched three consecutive US Amateur Championships. With nothing much left to play for in the Amateur, the US icon decided to turn pro at the age of 20 in August 1996. And he made an immediate impact.

Woods ended up winning $2544 as prize money on his debut. Interestingly, his iconic phrase, “Hello World” did catch everyone’s attention. Already touted as a prodigy, Nike picked up the line and turned it into an ad campaign. And within a couple of days, a three-page Wall Street Journal spread meant that the advertisement was successful. 

The hype was such that Nike was compelled to ditch all of its existing ads as they played Woods’ spot for a whopping 28 times during Round One of the GMO on ESPN. Well, Woods proved his worth as he shocked the golf realm by winning his first major victory at the 1997 Masters. Since then, to the present day, the US golfer has established himself as a legend of the sport. Unfortunately, owing to several injuries, Woods has now taken a temporary break from swinging his clubs. 

Tiger Woods hints return timeline but admits he will be rusty

Woods has been away from the competitive sphere since July 2024 after he missed the cut at the Open Championship in the greens of Scotland. Several injuries and back-to-back surgeries have derailed him. Last October, he underwent a lumbar disc replacement surgery, and he has been taking more time than usual to recover. 

However, the legend has stated how he is still looking forward to making a return in the PGA Tour events as a competitor. While several golf enthusiasts have been speculating about his retirement, his fans are still waiting for a positive update from the American maestro. Recently, while attending the Jupiter vs. Atlanta showdown at the SoFi Center, Woods himself threw light on the probable timeline of his return.

When asked about his participation in the competition, Woods candidly replied, “Playing here (at TGL)? I don’t know. I like watching these guys. As far as competitive golf, it’s still some time.”

The 50-year-old legend further added, “Whenever that time comes, when I start hitting drivers, and I start playing at home, and start doing all the different things, I will have been away from the game for a year and a half, so I’m gonna be pretty rusty.”

It has been almost two years since Woods has played four rounds in an official tournament. He last played for four rounds at the 2024 Masters and concluded the tournament in 60th position. Although he hasn’t been at his peak in recent seasons, anticipation around his return remains undiminished. Fans continue to eagerly await the chance to watch the GOAT compete live once more.